Brake mechanism



C. W. COLLINS BRAKE MECHANISM Dec. 5, 1939.

Filed June 6, 1958 INVENTOR CHHELfj W COLL/N5 lib/t H/5 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 5, 1939 EJ323156} UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEQE.

BRAKE MECHANISM Charles W. Collins, Seattle, Wash.

Application June 6, 1938, Serial No. 212,058

4 Claims. (Cl. 188204) My invention relates to a braking system for bar on pins l2 preferably formed by the downvehicles; and the broad object of the invention is turned ends of the bar. Levers 8 are preferably to provide an improved equalizing mechanism for pivotally connected to the spreader bar at these such a system. pivot points, by suitable shackles I3 also engaging 5 Another object of the invention is to provide an the downturned ends of the bar. 5 equalizer which operates to set at least one of Equalizing arms H are preferably shaped as the brakes, even though a part of the mechanism bell-cranks, with the two legs of the arms disbreaks and renders another of the brakes inopposed at substantially right angles. One end or erable. leg of each arm is substantially parallel with the The invention possesses other objects and feaspreader bar and the other end or leg is substan- 10 tures of advantage, some of which, with the foretially perpendicular to the bar, in the normal pogoing, will be set forth in the following descripsitions of the crank arms. The ends of the arms tion of my invention. It is to be understood that which are substantially parallel with the bar I do not limit myself to this disclosure of species preferably project outwardly, and the other ends of my invention, as I may adopt variant embodipreferably project forwardly of the bar. The 15 ments thereof within the scope of the claims. pivots l2 are positioned at the centers or angles Referring to the drawing: of the crank arms, so that shackles l3 overlie the Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brake mechforwardly projecting ends of the arms. The outanism embodying the improvements of my invenwardly projecting end of each arm is connected tion; to the brake lever 3 of one of the brakes by a suit- 20 Figure 2 is a plan view of an equalizer for the able rod l4. The other ends of the equalizing front brakes; and arms are pivotally connected together by a cross Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view on an enbar or rod I6 extending substantially parallel to larged scale showing an equalizer arm in abutspreader bar '1. Connecting rod i6 is prefment with a stop on the mechanism. erably made adjustable as to length by a turn- 25 In terms of broad inclusion, my mechanism inbuckle H, so that all the slack in the mechanism eludes rear wheel brakes, and means for equalay be taken uD- izing the forces applied to operate the-brakes. y this arrangement t Will be e that e The rear brakes also preferably include means for t r qua r moves forward when foot p d so actuating front wheel brakes, and means are 4 is d p s d. causing brake rods 54 to tension preferably provided for equalizing the b kin and rotate levers 3 to engage clutches 6. If one force applied to the front brakes. The preferred ch q ir less, movement of its lever 3 equalizer comprises aspreader bar connected with effeet engagement than the Other Clutch. the the brake operating means and carrying equalequalizing a ms H rotate to a up e d erizing arms pivotally connected together and to ence, so that both clutches are eng u 35 the rear brakes. ly and are subjected to equal operating forces.

In greater detail, and referring to Figure l of This insures equal brake band engaging action in the drawing, the brake mechanism of my invenboth of the rear wheel brakes. tion comprises rear wheel brakes 2 having levers Front Wheel brakes 53 are also preferably p 3 connected to a suitable brake operating means, vided, and are p e y actuated y e e 40 such as the foot pedal 4. The rear brakes are clutches 5 which actuate the rear brakes. As depreferably of a type, such as shown in my patent, scribed in my above mentioned patent, a lever is" No. 2,070,984, issued February 16, 1937, in which is provided on the rear brake for movement by the braking force is derived from a clutch 6 enthe clutch, and this lever in turn is connected to gageable with the brake drum. In other words. the front brake lever 2! by a suitable rod or 45 lever 3 engages the clutch and the torque of the le clutch plate is then utilized to engage the brake Me s are o p f ly pr r q band, as fully described in the patent above rene he brake actuating forces ppl fr m the ferred to. rear brakes to the front brakes. If desired, an

In my present invention, means are provided q li h as indicated e i ahy at 50 for equalizing the operating forces applied to 23 may be incorporated directly in the rear brake brake clutches E from foot pedal 4. For this purdrum. Such an equalizer is shown in my above pose a floating spreader bar or rod 1 is suspended nt ehed P ent 0 an external equalizer, by levers 8 depending from the usual rocker bar such as shown herein for the rear brake clutches,

9. Equalizing arms II are pivoted to the spreader may be interposed in the rods 22 leading to the 55 front brakes. Figure 2 shows such an arrangement with the portions of rods 22 coming from the rear brakes connected to the outer ends of equalizer arms 24; and the portions of rods 22' leading to the front wheel brakes connected to the intermediate arm pivots 25.

Another important feature of my improved equalizers is that at least one of the brakes remains operable should a part of the mechanism become broken or disconnected. Thus if one of the rods or cables id be disconnected, the equalizer arms M will rotate until they abut stops 26 on shackles l3. Continued forward movement of the equalizer as a whole will then tension the other cable M to apply the brake. Likewise, if one of the equalizing arms l I be broken, or if the cross rod it be broken or disconnected, the other equalizing arm will still be effective to operate its brake after the arm reaches'the limit of its rotation against the stop 28 provided on shackle i3. Figure 3 shows one of the equalizing arms H turned into abutment with a stop 26, as would happen if the cross rod 5 or the opposite cable l4 were broken; and this figure shows that bell-crank H is limited by stop against further clockwise rotation so that further forward movement of shackle I3 will set the brake.

The rotational movement required of arms H for the equalizing action is relatively small. Therefore arms I! do not have to turn much before they strike stops 26, so that a cable M will not slacken enough to prevent setting a brake, should a part of the equalizer be broken.

In regard to the equalizing action, it will be noted that the pivots l2 are disposed at the centers or angles of the right angle bell-cranks H; so that when the crank arms I i rotate to take up slack in one of the cables M, the effective lever arms which apply the operating forces to the brakes are always equal. In other words, the

equalizer is always in balance as far as the application of force to each of the brakes is concerned; and for any given position of the equalizing arms, the actuating force applied to one brake is equal to that applied to the other.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle having a pair of brakes and means for operating them, an equalizer comprising a floating spreader bar connected for movement with the operating means, a pair of equalizing arms pivoted to the bar, means connecting the arms for pivotal movement together, and means connecting each arm to a brake.

2. In a vehicle having a pair of brakes and means for operating them, an equalizer comprising a spreader bar, a pair of equalizing arms pivoted to the bar, means pivotally fastened to an end of each arm for connecting the latter to a brake, a rod pivotally fastened to the other ends of the arms for connecting them together, means for adjusting the length of said connecting rod, and means connecting said bar for movement with the operating means.

3. In a vehicle having a pair of brakes and means for operating them, said operating means having a pair of depending levers, an equalizer comprising a spreader bar suspended by said levers, a pair of equalizing arms pivoted to the bar, means connecting an end of each arm to a brake, and means pivotally connecting the other ends of the arms together.

4. In a vehicle having a pair of brakes and means for operating them, an equalizer comprising a spreader bar connected for movement with the operating means, a pair of equalizing arms pivoted to the bar, means connecting the arms for pivotal movement together, means connecting each arm to a brake, and stops for limiting rotational movement of said equalizing arms.

CHARLES W. COLLINS. 

